ARMY TO ORDER EVACUATION

Southland Times, Issue 24684, 4 March 1942, Page 4

ARMY TO ORDER EVACUATION

POSITION EXPLAINED BY PRIME MINISTER DANGER OF CONFUSION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 3. “Concern for women and children in what may prove dangerous areas is shared by everyone in the community and has been the subject of a most earnest and searching examination by the chiefs of staff and by the National Service Department,” said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser. He said his attention had been directed to a report by Mr C. 3. Lovegrove, controller of evacuation for the E.P.S. in Auckland, to the Chief Warden, Mr J. A. C. Allum, Mayor of Auckland. “It must be pointefl out that the only competent authorities to assume the responsibility of ordering evacuation from any locality is the Army,” said Mr Fraser. “Any other arrangement might lead to the widest confusion and chaos, inevitably accompanied by tragic consequences. In addition experiences in other war zones have provided fatal proof of how the fighting forces can be hopelessly impeded by panic evacuation. 'The War Cabinet and the General Staff are the only authorities who can possibly be in possession of authentic information about the degree of danger threatening any particular area, and authority for issuing instructions must rest in the first place with the Army. “Very careful consideration has been given by the Government and its advisers to the necessity or otherwise of evacuating the civil population. As there can be no certainty about when an enemy attack will develop, or the locality which will be the object of attack, it would be most unwise, in view of the disruption to community life, to evacuate selected areas now. NATIONAL EFFORT MUST CONTINUE “An important consideration .which must be borne in mind is that essential services and industries must continue as far as possible. Our national effort must not be unduly impeded. If it should ever be necessary to evacuate any area, those who have essential work to do in that area will be moved no further than circumstances require. It may, however, be necessary to move women and children to some more distant locality when danger threatens and appropriate instructions are issued. Until that time arrives people should just remain in their homes and do their jobs, going on with their work in the normal way. “The Emergency Precaution Service has already been directed to prepare and maintain schedules of available accommodation in collaboration with adjoining E.P.S. authorities for evacuees, and plans for their reception in these precautions should be completed without delay to ensure that if evacuation becomes necessary, then arrangements cart be quickly made to receive and succour those whom it is necessary to move. The responsibility for directing such evacuation will rest in the first place with the Army authorities, who will convey the necessary instruction to the chairman of the E.P.S. of the district. To facilitate the transport of evacuees it will be necessary for the chairman to act in close collaboration with the military authorities and emergency traffic police.” NEED FOR MOVING OFF STREETS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 3. The Prime Minister made a further statement tonight on behalf of the Government on the procedure that should be followed by the general public, in conjunction with the Emergency Precautions Service, in respect to local dispersal and, if need be, evacuation to other areas in the event of an emergency arising out of direct enemy action. Mr Fraser said the most likely targets were the resources upon which our sea communications depended, such as ships, wharves, docks and fuel installations, as well as aerodromes. For the most part these, excluding aerodromes, were near the main areas of our cities and important towns. The question therefore arose as to what means were to be adopted to protect large daytime concentrations of people in these areas. It was impossible to guarantee absolute protection for everyone. Judging by the experiences in Britain and elsewhere it was probable that there would be some casualties, but these would be reduced if, when an attack began or sirens sounded, people on the streets moved into the nearest building or other shelter and stayed put. Persons already in buildings should stay there. “There should be no dispersal to other areas,” said Mr Fraser, “unless and until directions are given by the E.P.S. authorities, and dispersal should then be along routes indicated by these authorities. During a raid open streets would be most dangerous places. The E.P.S. authorities in the main centres had been urged to prepare plans for safe dispersal forthwith and to hold trials to ensure that people in the streets may learn to follow the correct routes. Building wardens should hold dispersal trials, informing all inmates of the directions in which they should disperse.” Mr Fraser said the civil population should provide for themselves at their dwellings, trenches or other suitable shelters sufficient accommodation for the family. Specifications of domestic trenches and other shelters could be obtained at any main post office. The protection, of the family must be balanced against the need to deal with any incendiary bombs which might fall upon a house or building. Some member of the household should therefore remain to deal with any incendiaries that might fall.